Chair-iron



CHAN IRON.

APPLICAT N.2,1919- 1,330,427. Patented Feb. 10,1920.

I N V EN TOR. Lyq 'gf Z mfg/Z15 azarzg M TTORNEY.

N E ns rfATnNr onnron Halter w. Bonnets, or PORT wasnnvewen, Wisconsin.

CHAIR-IRON.

ess- 27.

Specification of Lettersi'atent; P te t d; Fb; 10; 1920.-

Applioation filed January 2, 1919 Se i' ial' ftiib. 269,355.

cated at equidistant points leg receiving sockets either cast integral with the sleeve and top-plate, or, where formed or sheetmetal, secured to one or the other or both 01" such elements. practice is to permanently secure the topplate position, so that in assembling'the s within the hub to form the chair-base,

JV, the hub is necessarily reversed or turned the top-plate is then bottom-side up so that at the bottom. After this, the inner ends of the chair-legs, which have been previously shaped to fit, are driven forcibly downward into the leg-sockets, subsequent to which a bottom-plate is applied to the lower end of the hub and, secured to the lower or bottom ed es of the legs by means of wood-screws. In order that the legs may have a snug or driving-fit within the sock ets, it is customary to converge the walls thereof toward their upper ends, and so also, are said walls of the sockets converged laterally, the inner ends of the legs being formed with corresponding dovetailed tenens. The driving-fit of the legs within the leg-sockets is depended upon to prevent looseness, and the bottom ring or plate is depended upon to prevent the legs from spreading and pulling from the sockets when the load is applied as when the chair is in use.

It will be appreciated, therefore, that according to the present practice of manufacturing revolvingaand tilting chairs, the legs of the chair-base areclamped by the legs sockets more tightly at their upper inner corners than they are at their lower inner corners, notwithstanding the obvious fact that when the load is applied at the center of the chair-base, the tendency is to spread the legs at their lower ends and'force them from their sockets and at" the same" time In either instance, the

force the upper corners of the legs inward. Indeed, to prevent this tendency to spread, is the fui'i'cti'onof the lower ring or bottomplate. 1 The principal objects of my invention are to overcome this obvious defect in construction, which I purpose doing by converging the side'\valls of the sockets toward their lower ends insteadloftheir'upper ends, such necessarily requiringthat the top-plate be made independent of the remainder of the hub and secured in position after instead of before the applicationo'f the legs to the hub; amt furthermorato lighten as well cheapen the hub as a whole by rendering unnecessary the employment ofthe' usual central sleeve, which I accomplish by adapting the inner walls of the sockets themselves to perform the function of the hub.

Other obje'cts" and advantages of the 111'- vention' will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereofwill be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing; Figure 1 1S a transverse sectional view,

taken on the line"1 1 of Fig; 2, of a chairiron hub embodying my invention, the outer endsof the legs being broken away; and

Fig.2 is a side elevation of the same. I Similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts in both figures of the drawing.

Thehub consists'or" a series of four annularly arranged sockets 1, a top plate 2, and a bottom-plate 3, the usually present central sleeve being entirely omitted.

These s'ocket sinay be, and preferably are, 1

simply short separate independent sections cut from a length of channeliron formed o'f'sheetmetalof proper gage, said'se ctions being arranged in position and preferably in'cont'act and secured together so thattheir inner orback-walls' combine to forma central'tubular spaced. vThis space may, if desired, be of any shape in cross-section, but is'preferablysubstantially cylindrical so asto simulate the usually employedsle eve for which it forms a substitution. The cylindrical form may besecur'e'd'by curving the rear orfbac'k-wall 5, of each socket 'upon' the are of a common circle. The opposite side-walls 6 of each socket-section are'pr'eferably' converged toward their lower ends as well as toward their outer edges, :so that the socket v'iewed'eitherfiii cross-section or elevatioi is wedge shap'd. Converging the walls of socket toward their lower ends, 1

it will be observed, is directly contrary to the conventional practice, it being usual, as

section, the only essential being that such blanks comprise opposite side and an intermediate connecting wall. And, as a matter of fact, the sections could be produced from blanks L-shaped in cross-section, in which instance, of course it would require two sections for each socket. The sections when assembled may be permanently connected in any desired manner, but preferably by spotwelding at their meeting corners. Although other means may be used for connecting the upper ends of the sockets and top-plate, I prefer to provide the former with endtenons 7 and the plate with corresponding mortises 8, upwardly through which the tenons may pass and above which they may be headed by avfew taps of a hammer after the chair-legs 9, have been driven downwardly into position within the sockets.

' The inner ends of the chair-legs, following the usual practice, are shaped to form dove-tailed tenons 10, of a uniform width or thickness and which correspond in cross-section to the shape of the sockets. In advance of the tenoned ends of the legs 1 vertical shoulders 11, are formed and these abut against the front edges of the sidewalls of the sockets.

In assembling the legs in the hub thus formed, the legs are driven downwardly into the sockets, and the latter being slightly narrower at their lower ends than at their upper ends whereas the tenons of the legs are uniform in width, a driving-fit results, as heretofore, except that the sockets clamp the legs more tightly at the lower inner corners of the latter than at their upper inner corners in direct contravention to the conventional construction and method. This, according to my conception, is as it should be, because, as before indicated, the legs are clamped tightest within the sockets at tliosepoints where the greatest tendency is to spread by'reason of the load. After the legs have been positioned as described, the top and bottom-plates are applied, the latter as usual (by means of screws inserted upwardly through the plate and into the undersides of the legs) and the former by having the tenons 7 upset by a few blows of a hammer. Of course, any means may be employed for securing the top-plate in po sition. and I do not limit my'invention to the inclusion of the means shown, such merely being a suggestion of one simple means to an end. So also, with regard to the bottom-plate, other means may be e1nployed for securing'it in position, or, if

preferred, it may be omitted altogether, as the snug fit of the legs now at the lower instead of the upper inner corners of the legs within the sockets, may, in practice, render its presence entirely unnecessary.

The tubular space 4, formed by the inner curved Walls of the sockets, will be found to serve the functions of the usual central sleeve, so that the cost as well as the weight of the latter is avoided. Into this space may be inserted any of the usual elements employed for giving vertical adjustment to the 0115mm as well as permitting of the chair being revolved.

Having described my invention, what I claim, is: r

l. The combination with a chair-hub having annularly arranged dove-tailed sheetmetal sockets connected together, each socket comprising opposite side-walls converging toward their lower ends, of chairlegs the inner ends of which are provided with tenons of uniform width and having a driving fit downwardly into said sockets between the downwardly converging walls thereof and upper and lower plates for the sockets.

2. A chair-iron, comprising, aseries of annularly arranged leg-receiving sockets, each of said sockets comprising opposite outwardly disposed side-walls converging toward their lower ends, a series'of legs theinner ends of which have a driving fit downwardly into said sockets and between said downwardly-converging walls of the sockets, whereby said legs are clamped by said sidewalls at their lower sides or bottoms to a greater degree than at points thereabo've, a top-plate for the inner ends of the legs and upper ends of the sockets, and means for securing said top-plate in position.

3. A chair-iron, comprising, a series of annularly arranged leg-receiving sockets, each of said sockets comprising opposite outwardly disposed sidewalls converging toward their outer edges and lower ends, a series of legs having their inner ends tenoned, which tenons are of substantially uniform width and having a driving 1% downwardly into said sockets, whereby said legs are clamped by said side-walls at their lower sides or bottoms to a greater degree than at points thereabove, a top-plate for the inner ends of the legs and upper ends of the sockets, and tenons provided on the upper ends of the sockets and engaging mortises correspondingly formed in said top-plate. V V

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. HARRY l/V. BOLEI S.

Witnesses: c

T. A. BOERNER, CHAS. J. TRAVERS.

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